5.5 lakh students found absent despite enrolment: Ranoj Pegu

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Around 5.5 lakh students enrolled in schools across Assam are no longer attending classes. Following this alarming trend, the Assam government has launched efforts to bring back those students who have been found absent from the school system, Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu said on Saturday.

Speaking at the state-level Teachers' Day programme held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, Pegu said the government identified the issue through a data-driven analysis of school and Anganwadi records.

The Education Department analysed data from the Shiksha Setu platform alongside records maintained by Anganwadi centres under the Women and Child Development Department to track students' enrolment and attendance.

Pegu said the government had begun examining the issue on a month-wise basis to identify students who discontinued attending classes and take corrective measures.

"It has been observed that students do not attend classes regularly due to various reasons. Irregular attendance in schools leads to school dropouts. "We are identifying the level at which students have dropped out," he said.

"We checked whether students studying in Class 4 subsequently enrolled in Class 6. We also analysed the Anganwadi data. What we found was that many students did take admission but stopped attending after one or two months," Pegu said.

"Now, we have started a mission to bring back those students who had stopped attending classes. We have signed an MoU with an NGO on Friday to identify, enrol and retain out-of-school adolescents aged 15-18 years, particularly girl students," Pegu added.

The Departments of Higher Education and School Education jointly organised the state-level Teachers' Day programme.

The programme witnessed the felicitation of 15 meritorious teachers nominated for the State-level Best Teacher Award 2026 in recognition of their commitment, innovative teaching practices and contribution to education.

Commendations were also conferred on 12 colleges that received autonomous status from the University Grants Commission, 14 affiliated NCI subjects, four teachers who secured patents under the Directorate of Technical Education, and five teachers from the Ideal School Organisation, Assam.

Also Read: Tutors Won’t Be Regularised as Teachers Without Required Qualifications: Ranoj Pegu